Sleep Sweet

There's nothing quite like when your nose itches and you're not supposed to scratch it. I never noticed how much my nose itches until they told us "don't touch it." Add a CPAP machine to that and then you really don't know what to do. All this silliness but then I read about Italy. Then I wonder if we're next. Then apparently, we are. 

I'm considered an immuno-compromised person, with diabetes, overweight (still, but I'm working on it), and a past history of MRSA infections. They say that folks have two defaults, in their sin areas -- either you tend towards anger/bitterness or fear/worry. I'm the fear gal. So when all of a sudden, we are bombarded with reasons to be fearful, when they increase incrementally every day, and the economy starts to tip....my heart shrinks and I begin running around saying the sky is falling. Each day last week, I couldn't put my finger on why my stomach started hurting -- there was a knot in there that was getting worse and wouldn't untangle. I talk about trusting God all the time, but then the rubber meets the road.

It just about undid me when I discovered that even our church was shutting down Sunday services for the next two weeks. I knew it had to be serious, if they did that. The pastor sent a link for a virtual morning service, along with a liturgy, verses and hymns to sing -- requesting that our church body "meet" at 10:30 in our individual homes. We hunkered down to have church the old-fashioned way, like they did in the New Testament days (except for the technology, of course!). Our future son-in-love joined us in the living room. I think we were all cranky and tired. Emotional upheaval is more exhausting than digging a ditch. 

The sermon was on point, bringing clarity about what really matters. He was talking about realities, whether there's a virus or not...about eternity, about how we're all gonna die sooner or later, about where the truth lies, and about who (or what) we put our confidence in. I thought of my Daddy up there in heaven, probably chuckling at my fingernails screeching across the floors of life, so afraid to let go of what I can see. I was encouraged once again, to hold all things loosely, look at eternity, look at one day at a time...but especially to abide in this moment and truly trust the Maker of the universe. We all need to do the things our Mamas taught us: wash your hands, don't pick your nose, quit messin' with your face, cover your face when you sneeze,  clean the doorknobs and don't be spittin' on the sidewalk. Get outside in the sunshine, open the windows and air out the house. My sponsor gave me this sweet bit of advice last night: "Sleep tight. The Captain is on the bridge."